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FRIDAY, 6 MARCH 2020 GALILEO, FRANKEL SETTING INTERNATIONAL VETS COLLABORATE IN FRACTURE RISK DETERMINATION THE STANDARD By Emma Berry A conference convened partly in the wake of high-profile scratchings on veterinary grounds of several international horses from last year's Melbourne Cup has looked at ways in which racing vets from around the world can work more closely in the field of pre-race assessment. Newmarket played host to the international gathering of veterinarians for the consensus conference on fracture risk assessment of the Thoroughbred fetlock, at which clinical diagnosis and the range of diagnostic imaging were at the forefront of a debate which also took an in-depth look at what could be deemed to be a "reasonable level of risk." An open session on Wednesday, which included representatives from the world of breeding, training, scientific research, insurance and raceday regulation, followed a closed Galileo | Coolmore debate on Tuesday between a panel of 12 vets. Cont. p3 By John Boyce It's not just the number of stakes winners; it's also the quality and the rate at which they're sired that determines the best stallions in the land. In the modern world of breeding with larger books, 10% stakes winners from runners has perhaps become the new norm for greatness, rather than the 10% stakes winners to foals of yesterday. It is interesting to note that the great Northern Dancer sired 23% stakes winners from foals and 29% stakes winners from runners in an era when 40 mares in a book was the norm. Today, his outstanding grandson Galileo (Ire) manages 17% stakes winners from runners, widely and rightly acknowledged as an extraordinary achievement. But if we just choose his best 40 mares at the time of covering each year and look at what they've achieved, we get a truer Veterinary experts gathered in Newmarket on Thursday picture of how Galileo stacks up against Northern Dancer. In to discuss fetlock injuries | Getty these circumstances his percentage of stakes winners to runners climbs to 23%. And that doesn't account for all the factors that may draw the top 40 or 50 mares in the land to the best sire. It's clear that if we applied the same principle to most of today's IN TDN AMERICA TODAY elite sires, we would get the same result--much higher rates of BIANCONE BRINGS HOT HAND TO TAMPA stakes winners. Trainer Patrick Biancone’s Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) steps forward in the GII Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday. Click or tap Cont. p2 here to go straight to TDN America. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 7 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 6 MARCH 2020 Galileo, Frankel Setting The Standard Cont. from p1 precise type of Classic horses everyone wants to see on our Galileo is perhaps the best sire Europe has ever seen both in racecourses. terms of stakes winners sired (285) and the rate at which he Among the leading sires, there's always a familiar pattern of produces them (17.2%). There are a handful of stallions that can stallions that can produce top-class staying stock ruling the roost almost match his rate of producing stakes winners, none more in Europe. In fact, it's almost impossible for a speed bias sire to so than his best-ever son Frankel (GB), whose first 46 stakes get anywhere near the top of the leading sires' lists, particularly winners have come along at an excellent rate of 16.3%. by percentage of stakes winners to runners. Sires that produce The challenge for Frankel is to stay in the game for as long as horses capable of winning stakes races at a mile and a quarter or his sire has managed to. Of more have almost twice the course, Frankel's early career black-type opportunities as their has been blessed with the help speed-oriented counterparts, of some of Europe's finest due in part to the speed end of broodmares, unlike Galileo's the spectrum being currently initial crops. But given overloaded with fast continued support plus the 'commercial' stallions. requisite amount of time One young sire bucking the Frankel ought to become one of trend though is No Nay Never, best stallions of the new whose 12% score is outstanding decade. for a stallion that looks very Dubawi (Ire), with 159 stakes much like a speed influence. winners from his Northern That said, he'll do very well to Hemisphere crops, is the most stay above 10% unless some of accomplished sire to have ever his stock stay a mile and stood in Britain. He too sires a Frankel | Juddmonte Farms beyond. It's worth remembering very high percentage of stakes that one of Europe's premier winners (15.9%), an even more commendable achievement sources of speed, Invincible Spirit (Ire), gets stakes winners at a considering his early mares were well below the standard he's rate of around 9%. He's pretty much the standard setter for sires now attracting. Like Galileo, his percentage of stakes winners of sprinter-milers. from elite mares is well into the 20s. Galileo's counterpart in North America has to be War Front, a Sea The Stars (Ire) is another that retired to stud with a sire who has reaped the benefits of his association with the sky-high reputation and it's very hard to argue that he's not up Coolmore group. He owes plenty of his success to his European to getting the best from his mares, particularly with the likes of runners in that 34 of his stakes winners--an excellent 15.4%-- Stradivarius (Ire), Crystal Ocean (GB), Harzand (Ire), Sea Of Class came from Europe, compared to the 58 (14%) in North America. (Ire) and Taghrooda (GB) among his elite performers--the Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 7 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 6 MARCH 2020 Galileo, Frankel Setting The Standard Cont. He is perhaps the only sire of the modern era capable of consistently delivering top-class Thoroughbreds on either side of the Atlantic, just like his brilliant sire and grandsire did in years gone by. And it is that versatility that has him a full three percentage points ahead of his nearest pursuers. It's a close run race between Speightstown, Tapit and Senior Vice President Gary King Distorted Humor for second position on our leader board. Twitter: @garykingTDN Speightstown's 109 stakes winners make up 12.1% of his [email protected] runners, which is currently just ahead of the rate that Tapit + 1.732.320.0975 produced his 132. But the plaudits must go to Tapit when it comes to the quality of stakes winners produced, his stakes International Editor winners posting an average rating of 114.5, compared to Kelsey Riley Speightstown's 112.5. Distorted Humor, meanwhile posted an Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN average rating of 111.8 for his 146 stakes winners, which were [email protected] produced at a rate of 11.6% from starters. European Editor Next on the list is Medaglia d'Oro, who has sired plenty of Emma Berry top-class colts, but it is his fillies that underpin his 11.1% stakes Twitter: @collingsberry winners. His gender split of 69 stakes-winning fillies and mares [email protected] compared to 43 colts and geldings is further accentuated by the percentages--13.9% stakes-winning fillies and mares to the 8.3% Associate International Editor stakes-winning colts and geldings. Heather Anderson Of the other 10 percenters on our leader board, Uncle Mo is Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN definitely the newest kid on the block. His early achievements Marketing Manager have guaranteed outstanding future prospects from some of the Alayna Cullen best mares in the land. And from the elite mares he's had Twitter: @AlaynaCullen runners from so far, no fewer that 20% of them are stakes [email protected] winners. His future looks assured. The same can be said for another rising star in Into Mischief, Contributing Editor currently producing stakes winners at a rate of 10.5%. He too Alan Carasso has caught the imagination of breeders and has some very Twitter: @EquinealTDN well-bred crops to come. His batting average is already way Cafe Racing ahead of expectations. What might it be in five years' time? Sean Cronin Tom Frary [email protected] International Vets Collaborate In Fracture Risk Determination Cont. from p1 Irish Correspondent Along with organiser Piet Ramzan, a partner at Rossdales in Daithi Harvey Newmarket, visiting experts hailed from America, Australia and Canada, while Chris Riggs of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | John Berry delivered his presentation via a video link from China. John Boyce | Amy Lynam While training and regulatory conditions vary from country to Melissa Steele country, there was general agreement among the group that increased international collaboration in key areas would be beneficial. In particular, data gathering and assessment through IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY a repository of diagnostic images, as well as the publication of a VINNIE & SNITZEL SET TO GO DOWN TO THE WIRE best practice guide were recommended in an attempt to help I Am Invincible (Aus) and Snitzel (Aus) are in a battle for the pinpoint those horses most at risk and reduce the risk of fatal Australian Champion Sire title this season. Click or tap here to injuries. Cont. p4 go straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 7 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 6 MARCH 2020 International Vets Collaborate In Fracture Risk Determination analysis, and the balanced nutrition, and obviously we rely Cont. heavily on the veterinary industry.